The present invention relates to protectors with sensors. When objects including fingers are disposed between openings of automobiles and opening/closing panels which move between at least two positions to open and close the openings of automobiles, the sensors of the protectors output corresponding signals for detecting the objects. The opening/closing panels include: doors such as sliding doors on wagons, station wagons or the like sliding frontward and rearward of the automobile bodies and back doors; and sun roofs.
A protector 10, 20 with a sensor is installed on an automobile including a wagon shown in FIG. 5 of which a sliding door 1 (or a back door) moves between at least two positions to open and close an opening of an automobile body or on an automobile shown in FIG. 6 of which sun roof 2 opens or closes the opening of the automobile body.
For example, the protector 10 with the sensor, extending in an upper and lower direction as shown in FIG. 7, is installed on a front end surface of the sliding door 1. The protector 10 with the sensor extends frontward of the automobile body from the front end surface of the sliding door 1.
As shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, the protector 10 with the sensor, installed on the front end surface of the sliding door 1 includes: an installation base member 11 having a substantially U-shaped cross section including an inner-cabin side wall 11a, an outer-cabin side wall 11b and a connecting wall 11c; and a hollow part 12 integrally molded with the installation base member 11. The hollow part 12 includes a sensor (pressure sensitive sensor) 80 which outputs a corresponding electric signal upon detecting the object such as a part of human bodies (fingers, hands or legs) between the sliding door 1 and a body side opening (may also be front door or side door) (see, for example, Japanese examined Patent Publication No. 3334477).
In a lower part of the protector 10 with the sensor, a channel part 13 having a substantially C-shaped cross section is integrally molded with the inner-cabin side wall 11a side of the installation base member 11 for holding wire harness 90 joined with the pressure sensitive sensor 80. The installation base member 11 has a plurality of holding lips 14 formed inside and a core 15 having a substantially U-shaped cross section embedded therein for increasing rigidity. In addition, a decorative lip 16 is provided on the outer-cabin side wall 11b of the installation base member 11.
The sensor (pressure sensitive sensor) 80 has two core wires (electrode wires) 31, 32 extending in an upper and lower direction (longitudinal direction) embedded in rubber like elastic bodies (conductive parts) 34, 35 having conductivity with a space 33 therebetween, which are fixed in the hollow part 12. As the object is disposed between the sliding door 1 and the body side opening when the sliding door 1 is moved towards a closed position, the object makes contact with a part of the hollow part 12, and then the rubber like elastic bodies 34, 35 contact with each other and the two core wires 31, 32 short. Resultant change in electric signal is transmitted to a control unit 40 joined with leads 36, 36 which are connected with the two core wires 31, 32 in a lower side terminal part of the protector 10 with the sensor, and as a result, the objects are detected. The leads 36, 36 covered with insulator are tied by the wire harness 90. Top ends of the leads 36, 36, bared from covered parts 37, 37 are naked wires.
As shown in FIGS. 10(a) to 10(c), in the lower side terminal part of the protector 10 with the sensor, the leads 36 are piled on the two core wires 31, 32 drawn out in a longitudinal direction (left direction in FIGS. 10(a) to 10(c) relative to a sheet), the leads 36 and the two core wires 31, 32 are connected by means of resistance welding or soft soldering (FIG. 10(b)) and an insert 25 fills up the space 33 which is exposed in an end part (FIG. 10(c)). Then, as shown in FIG. 11, wire connection parts 70, 70, the insert 25 and a part of the wire harness 90 are embedded in a die molded part by die molding and are not exposed.
Also, as shown in FIG. 12, in an upper side terminal part of the protector 10 with the sensor, legs 39a, 39a of a resistor 39 are piled on the two core wires 31, 32 drawn out in the longitudinal direction (right direction in FIG. 12 relative to the sheet), the legs and the two core wires 31, 32 are connected by means of resistance welding or soft soldering and an insert 26 fills up the space 33. Then, the wire connection parts 70, the insert 26 and the resistor 39 are embedded in a die molded part by means of the die molding and are not exposed.
In FIGS. 11 and 12, dotted lines show the die molded parts.
Unfortunately, however, as shown in FIG. 8, the space 33 between the two rubber like elastic bodies (conductive parts) 34, 35 having conductivity substantially has an oblong shaped (rectangular shaped) cross section. Accordingly, a movable range 500 as a part which bends for detecting the objects is not wide enough. The conductive parts 34, 35 do not bend. Specifically, the objects are detected within a range of about 60° including about 30° toward an inner-cabin side (upper direction in FIG. 8) and about 30° toward an outer-cabin side (lower direction in FIG. 8), respectively. When an angle is larger than 60°, the two conductive parts 34, 35 do not always come into contact with each other and the objects are not always detected even in case the objects exist.
Japanese examined Patent Publication No. 3334477 discloses that the space (opening) between the two conductive parts is long from side to side in cross section, which is substantially rectangular. Accordingly, the objects are detected only within a small angle, and the movable range of the part which bends is narrow.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide the protectors with sensors excellent in capability of detecting the objects.